ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · tube · game · bark · face · patient · spring · chip

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — to eat
  3. spring — a coil
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spring — the season
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. spring — of water
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bound — obliged
  18. tube — a container
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tube — the underground
  23. game — a match
  24. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com